Australian umpire Tony de Nobrega is currently under observation at a local hospital.© Facebook
Tony de Nobrega, an Australian umpire, copped a nasty blow to his face while officiating a match at the Charles Veryard Reserve in Perth. De Nobrega ended up in the hospital after a straight drive from a batter hit him on his face, leading to brutal facial injuries. The incident caught the attention of fans after a Facebook post of WASTCA Umpires Association went viral on social media. Despite not having any broken bones, the doctors might be forced to operate on Nobrega, who is currently under observation at a local hospital.
“There was a fair bit going on at Charles Veryard on Saturday in a 3rd grade match when Senior umpire Tony DeNobrega was struck in the face in what was described as a Brutal blow, where a straight drive out of the screws hit Tony flush in the side of the face. Spending the night in hospital Tony was fortunate enough not to have had any broken bones however the doctors are keeping him in under observation as surgery is not out of the question. We wish Tony all the best for a fast recovery from this terrible incident and look forward to him being up and about shortly. The umpiring team is right behind you mate. Rest up Tony,” WASTCA Umpires Association wrote in a Facebook post, while extending their support to de Nobrega.
Meanwhile, the incident took place during a third-grade match in the West Australian Suburban Turf Cricket Association (WASTCA) between North Perth and Wembley Districts.
In de Nobrega’s case, he isn’t the only umpire to be seriously injured while officiating.
In 2019, an 80-year-old umpire, John Williams, died in Wales after being hit by a ball. He was placed in a induced coma but succumed to injuries weeks later.
Similarly, Israeli umpire Hillel Oscar was killed in 2014 after a ball ricocheted off the stumps and hit him in the head.
To prevent such injuries, several umpire have started to take precautionary measures, including wearing helmets and plastic forearm shields while officiating.
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